Bethesda Interview reveals new Skyrim details

Game Director and lead designers answer questions collected from fans

Posted on Jul 6, 2011 - 2:14pm EST

Bethesda has gone live with an interview by Todd Howard, Matt Carofano, and Bruce Nesmith based on questions submitted by fans.

The interview reveals new details about the gameplay and some specific features. For example, the armor system is very similar to Oblivion’s. The main difference is that the upper and lower body armors, the cuirass and greaves, have been combined into one piece.

There are decision points in all the quest lines that can change things, but overall it’s a single story. Instead, the side quests will have stronger branching opportunities. The enemies and loot are based on the “encounter zone” you’re in, so it could be higher or lower level than your current level. There is a new concept of “special” loot that is randomly dropped, regardless of the zone.

The game will include a morality system as well. Characters in the world will acknowledge the specific things you have done rather than just a generalized reputation. If you are a criminal, they’ll know that too. But if you pay your debt to society, all is forgiven.

On PC-specific side of things, developers promise “power user stuff with the keyboard from how favorites work, to quick saves, and more that is similar to what has been done before." The PC version also gets higher res textures, larger render modes, and other effects. Last but not least, modding the game with the Creation Kit "is very important to us and our fans, so we’re going to keep doing whatever we can in that area."

For the full interview, visit the official forum. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim launches in November for Windows PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3.